The newly constituted police team led by Thrissur Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) S. Gopinath, on Wednesday, began an investigation into the murder of a woman cleaner at the Nilambur Congress block office last week.
“The investigation is progressing. As of now, the accused have not been charged with rape. We are awaiting the results of forensic and chemical analysis. The accused have not confessed to raping the woman. However, the preliminary details of the post-mortem examination report revealed that the private parts of the victim had been badly damaged,” he told The Hindu .
One of the two persons arrested in connection with the case is K.M. Biju, aka Biju Nair, 38, secretary, Nilambur Congress block office and also the additional personal assistant to Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed. The other accused is his accomplice, K. Shamsudheen aka Shamsu, 29.
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The murder of the 49-year-old woman took place on February 5. The decomposed body was found in a gunny bag in the grama panchayat pond at Unnikulam, near Pookkottupadam, on Sunday. The body was recognised by her relatives on Monday.
So far, the IGP said the investigators had not obtained any clues regarding the involvement of any other people.
A post-mortem examination carried out at the Department of Forensic Medicine, Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, indicated that the victim had died of asphyxia and that she had been sexually assaulted.
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Aryadan Shoukath, son of the Minister and chairman of Nilambur municipality, told journalists that the murder case was given a political colour aimed at targeting the Congress party.
Nilambur Circle Inspector A.P. Chandran collected the statements of the relatives of the victim. There were protests when the officer arrived at the house escorted by local Congress leaders and took the statements in their presence.